Top 10 Posts of 2015!

          31st December 2015. It's the last day of the year, already. It's been quite a roller coaster of a year. This year, my blog has remained my constant. No matter what happened I could always write it out on my blog. It was a venting machine. It was a thought portrayal. It was an imagination hoarder. It has been everything that made my 2015 good. If it weren't for my blog, it would've just been a sad year with loneliness. But instead, it became a happy and satisfying year. Here are the top 10 posts I've written in this year!

1. An Interview with Shooter, Gautami Pandit.

          This was a post wherein I interviewed a national shooter. It was a great experience knowing the life of a sportswoman.

2. House of Cards. (Book Review #13)

          This is the book review of an incredible book by one of my favourite Indian authors, Sudha Murty. I don't know how it came up on #2 position but I'm glad it did. I enjoyed reading this. You can check out the entire review.

3. 100 Books and Counting.

          It felt exhilarating and adventurous to have read 100 books. In this post, I've mentioned a couple of books which I've rated at 5 stars, 4 stars and so on. It might be helpful for your 2016 TBR list!

4. Coincidental Love. (Part I)

          This was the first love story I had written. It's a short story. Writing this one was one of the best times I had in this year. I hope you liked it.

5. All the Bright Places. (Book Review #8)

          This is an amazing novel. I just loved reading it. The book belongs to Young Adult genre and is brilliantly written by Jennifer Niven.

6. Physical Book Vs E-Book.

          This is a comparison between physical books and e-books. I love reading both kinds but of course, a physical book is always preferred. Can't miss that book smell after all.

7. Readers, Thank You. (Blogoversary Part 1)

          My first blogoversary was this year in September! After years, I had finally stuck with something. I was filled with joy that blogging didn't turn out to be a three-month thing. And I know that it's more like a forever thing. Blogging has become an essential part of my life now and I couldn't be more happy about it.

8. Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?

          I remember writing this one. I was lost in deep thoughts about life and people. And I needed to rant it out. Hence, I wrote this one. I hope it helps you if you find yourself wondering about things.

9. Musical Retreat. (Monday Moments #3)

          I love my blog series, Monday Moments. It helps me a lot for writing fiction. I'm glad this post in the series is viewed so many times. Can't live without music, right?

10. Just One Day Series. (Book Review #12)

          Now this is a book series I loved. A lot! It's about love and destiny. It's the kind of story which will rekindle your belief in love. If you haven't read it yet, go and read it!

Veg Out. (Monday Moments #31)

          She worked hard as a head-hunter. She was always busy with something or the other and was constantly sucked into work. After a long time, she got an extended weekend holiday. She was excited about it. She had decided to visit some places outside the city and enjoy the short trip. But, when the day arrived, she just didn't want to get out of bed. She began thinking. Why should I always lead a busy life? Why to take this tour which will make me more tiresome? Why shouldn't I just enjoy this time to relax at home? She was always surrounded with people. She always woke up at 5 and slept late into the night hours. So, she just decided to do the opposite. She decided to stay alone, sleep a lot and just chill. That's what people do when they have an overwhelming life, right? She just stayed in her bed. She put on the television. The show looked familiar to her. Then she remembered. It was her favourite show, 'Pretty Little Liars'. She couldn't even remember the last time she watched it. Being a grown up just changes everything. Priorities change. And you forget about some things which you had loved. She decided to just veg out and watch a marathon of Pretty Little Liars. That feeling was new to her. She never did such a thing. And so it felt marvellously satisfying to just not do anything. At that moment, she was the total opposite of herself but she loved in being so. After a couple of hours, she felt so awesome. Some moments you don't need therapy. Some moments you just need to veg out!

(‘Monday Moments’ is a blog series wherein I write about an incident or a moment in a short paragraph. It’s not a story, but just a short description to express and explore the most common joys and also the uncommon miseries.) 

It Started With A Friend Request. (Book Review #19)

 Introduction:

          I love Indian writing. When I say that, I mean authors like Sudha Murty, Amish Tripathi, Salman Rushdie. Not authors like Durjoy Datta, Preeti Shenoy, Ravinder Singh and Sudeep Nagarkar. I know that Indians are huge fans of romantic novels and movies. I guess that's the reason why novels like 'It Started With A Friend Request' gain popularity. So, yeah, I didn't like this novel. Sorry to disappoint the author's fans. But when I don't like a book, then I just have to say it. So, anyway, this book is filled with romance. It's as sweet as any love story can get. If you're into that type, you'll end up loving it. If not, you'll just be a disgruntled reader.

Characters:

          Aleesha is a graduate student who has come to Mumbai to pursue her studies. She is the most beautiful and smart girl (what a surprise!) at any time in any room. She's clingy and has trust issues.

          Akash is a dimple-faced handsome guy who works in Mumbai. He has a sad heartbreak story before he meets Aleesha. (There always has to be a sad heartbreak story, right?) He is more sensible than Aleesha when it comes to relationships. For the context of this novel, the word 'sensible' reduces to a greater extent. Because, seriously no one in this story can be deemed as sensible as per my practical way of thinking.

           Aditya is Akash's best friend. Kritika is Aleesha's best friend. These two basically exist to reconcile and help the couple throughout the story.

          Tamanna is a family friend of Aleesha. They stay together in the first few months when Aleesha comes to Mumbai. Tamanna is an introvert. She loves a guy named Deep who works at her office.

The stories of 'Aleesha and Akash' and 'Tamanna and Deep' are shown in the book.

Story Line:

          The story is so unrealistic that I can't describe it without sarcasm. Aleesha and Akash meet at a discotheque, exchange BBM pins and just like that it begins. He acts like a desperate person who has fallen in love at first sight. She, (supposedly sensible) just goes with it and decides to meet a stranger. (A handsome guy is after a beautiful girl and he gets her. So original.)
Once they start dating, they act like a lovey-dovey couple. It's understandable to be smitten but how long should this phase last? This whole obsessed with each other lovely thing lasts for 85 % of the book. The writer should portray the romantic moments in such a way that they actually sound romantic. (Not like a fairy tale.) The cute texts of how they'll be together always, how they're the moon to their sky and what not, last for such a long time that it gets too boring to read. On the other side, Tamanna wants Deep desperately while he doesn't want to get involved with his superior. Now, I understand this thing. But, if they were together, it's foolish to just assume that she'll give him all the perks and bonuses. (I mean, Derek Shepherd didn't favour Meredith Grey just because they were together!)
          There are a few stupid fights between Akash and Aleesha. Firstly, their fights are stupider than those of a school couple. And the importance of their fights is shown so intensely as that of disagreements at international level. So, yeah, doesn't make sense.
          I'll just jump to the climax now because the entire book is just love-fight-patch up-love-fight... The major twist is at the end of the book. (who keeps a plot twist at the end of the book anyway?) Now, this is a pretty major climax. If you read my review, I'm pretty sure you won't read the book. But, I won't spoil this for the sake of the author.
          If you're into such love stories, then give it a shot. Maybe you'll even like it. If not, just read Goodreads reviews about the end.

Overall Thoughts:

          I believe that relationships need the base of trust and love. Two people can love each other no matter what. But it's trust that always lacks. In this story, I found that there is no trust between them. Or I think, Aleesha doesn't trust Akash enough. She keeps doubting him. She keeps second-guessing him. She keeps tormenting and accusing him. And I get that on some level. But, a person is supposed to outgrow that. A person is supposed to start trusting their partner after a certain stage. Akash, who's mostly never at fault, keeps on trying to win her back and keep her happy. He's so blinded by love that he never sees situations with clarity. What kind of a guy can be in a relationship where his girlfriend doesn't trust her? I thought that after the twist, she'll change. But, she doesn't. So, I really think that the book should've ended like this-
a) Either she starts really trusting him.
b) Or they break up.
          Another thing which was off was the structure of the novel. If the plot twist would've been after 50 % of the book, even then I would've liked it a bit better.
          On the positive side, I loved how strong friendship is portrayed between Aditya and Akash. I liked how this story could easily be real for any Mumbaikar. Even if I didn't like their cute texts, I liked them on a very immature level.
          I've rated this book at 1/5 stars on Goodreads.

A Crush. (Monday Moments #30)

          She liked him for as long as she could remember. It was even weird how she knew everything about him. She remembered the first day of high school when he walked in. When she first glanced at him, she knew he would be the popular guy with a major girls following. He seemed such a cliché at that time. And she was mature enough to not think of him. Yet somehow her eyes kept following him and she couldn't help but think about him. Sometimes even the most sensible people get dilemmas about listening to their heart or brain. And somehow, she developed a crush on this most clichéd guy. A girl with specs who has her head in books and not in other people's business starts liking the handsome and popular guy who doesn't know anything about her. It was a typical high school scenario but when it happened to her it all felt like a breath of fresh air. Liking him didn't feel boring or monotonous or consuming. It just felt normal. From her point of view, it was a crush which wasn't going away and she was fine with it. She knew little things about him which was adorable. When he does that tilted leg thing while clicking pictures. When he does his full wide smile thing when he's flirting with girls. When he keeps shaking his leg when he's bored during lectures. The way he imitates the teachers. The way he shows off his great collection of sunglasses. Some may call it an obsession but she knew it was just a crush. A crush that was just not going away. As he entered the classroom, he glanced at her and came to talk to her. She hadn't even considered the possibility of him having a crush on her. But, sometimes, just sometimes, something as amazing as that happens.

(‘Monday Moments’ is a blog series wherein I write about an incident or a moment in a short paragraph. It’s not a story, but just a short description to express and explore the most common joys and also the uncommon miseries.) 

Souvenir. (Monday Moments #29)

          There was just a month left. After that one month, she would be in a new country, doing a new job and exploring new people. Being a travel writer had its perks. And earning from your favourite hobby is the ultimate dream. She was busy visiting monuments, hills and beaches. Now was the time when she finally had a chance to collect souvenirs. From every place, she reserved the last month for this task. Her souvenirs weren't from the Souvenir Shop. They were from real places which she had visited. Like a rock from a river, a leaf from a forest, a wrist band from a concert and so on.From some 20-25 places which she had visited, she chose her favourite. She went there, no matter how far it was. She went to that one special place. This time, it was something really outstanding. She had discovered this place and knew she'd be back there. It was an isolated mountain. Only, it wasn't a tourist spot. It was secluded from the main spot and no one was seen there. She knew that the view from there would be inexplicable. So she began the journey. It was tough to reach there because of the uncemented natural mess of the wonderful tree roots. But it felt very natural to walk on those roots, on a tiny path surrounded by trees. She reached the top of the mountain. And, as she had expected, the view was breathtaking. It was the tallest mountain in the vicinity. The wind was blowing through her hair while leaving a wide smile on her face. The sunset was making her eyes bigger as it left her body drenched with its last rays. The leaves of the trees whistled and the birds chirped as if they knew she needed some wonderful background music. She took it all in. And as the sun set, she captured the perfect picture of it. That was a souvenir she knew she will never forget. It was for herself. Because the feelings of infinity she had in those moments were just unexplainable. As she looked at the picture, she was content. In that moment, she knew that this was the best souvenir of all.

(‘Monday Moments’ is a blog series wherein I write about an incident or a moment in a short paragraph. It’s not a story, but just a short description to express and explore the most common joys and also the uncommon miseries.) 

Success. (Monday Moments #28)

          Both the girls had practiced diligently for their Badminton doubles match. This match was vital for their career in the sports field. If they won the finals, they would be selected for international tournaments. And that was a big deal for them. They had devoted their entire lives to the beloved game. At the age of 21 and 22, they had a bright future in the sport. They played most of the time. They practiced with their coach and learned something every day. They improved on their weak points. If one was good at smashes, the other was good at backhand strokes. It wasn't just a game for them. It was their dream and passion. They even spoke Badminton slang while conversing with people. As they went on the court, they were anxious yet confident. They were ready for the big match. Soon, they won the first set. Their opponent team had won the second set. It was a crucial stage during the third set which could declare either of the team as winners. The rally was on-going. The opponent team were in positions expecting a long toss but instead one of the girls sent a drop near the net. It was her classic shot which opponents couldn't throw back. They had won! They hugged each other and sat down on the court yelling 'Yes!!' They actually won the tournament. That moment was so precious. From disbelief to acceptance to happiness and finally more happiness. As they digested the fact that they won, there were smiles on their faces. Those smiles were never going to leave anytime soon. Their proud parents were thrilled. Those two girls were the stars that day. They were exuberant with delight. In that moment, they weren't some girls with unachievable dreams. They turned to those girls who had, in fact, achieved their dream. At that moment, their ecstatic selves were dancing with merriment within themselves. That moment they were the success and they knew how Badminton was their whole life and more.

(‘Monday Moments’ is a blog series wherein I write about an incident or a moment in a short paragraph. It’s not a story, but just a short description to express and explore the most common joys and also the uncommon miseries.)

Tension. (Monday Moments #27)

          There was just a week left for her exams to start. Where others were busy studying, she was wondering why she was even doing that course. Whenever there was too much pressure, she always zoned out. Instead of doing what she was supposed to, she did a lot of useless over-thinking about it which lead to tension. Instead of truly saying "I love you too", she thought many times if she really really did. Instead of just letting go of a situation, she thought about it over and over. Instead of just studying, she was thinking about her career choices. And after a lot of thinking, the conclusion was always the same; tension. She took out her study material. She had the syllabus. She decided on a subject. Soon she realised she had no idea what she was reading. She then took up another subject which was all the more technical. She went back to the first subject and tried her best to keep at it. After 20 minutes, she scribbled hard on the pages and threw the notebooks away. She yelled out loud in frustration. She couldn't take it. All she could envision was the bare one week, the face of a strict professor and an 'F' on her answer sheet. She was so tensed that she felt like just quitting it all, taking a flight to a random place and just relaxing. At that moment, she had snapped. The whole thing was so overwhelming that her focus and sincerity was all lost. In that moment, she was tensed beyond repair and she knew the only way to stop that was to study. But it wasn't that simple. Tension won the battle as she continued to sob over her life.

(‘Monday Moments’ is a blog series wherein I write about an incident or a moment in a short paragraph. It’s not a story, but just a short description to express and explore the most common joys and also the uncommon miseries.)

Writing. (Monday Moments #26)

          She was at the coffee shop. Everything she needed was there. Coffee, music and of course, cheesecake. She opened her laptop and continued writing her novel. She was working on her second love story and enjoying the process. After one successful novel, the thrill and adventure of writing had just doubled. She thought too much into the plot. She just wanted it to be perfect, romantic, literary and kind of awesome. She just sat there and closed her eyes. She recollected the story in her mind and as she reached where she had left off, a new idea struck in her head. And then began the peaceful sound of the keyboard. Most of the times while writing, you think that what you're writing is total crap but just a rare few times, it feels right. And that was the time it felt right because the speed of her typing increased just as the smile on her face. After writing around 2000 words, she paused. She hadn't even realised that it was already two hours. That time, she felt pure bliss. That was the moment she cherished that she was a writer and a novelist. Even when she was a 27-year-old single woman, she felt like she was in love. She was in love with her characters and their love story. She wanted the girl to be ambitious and sentimental. She wanted the boy to be ‘the one’ for her. She was smitten with their romantic dates and lovely dialogues. She wanted them to travel the world together and live their life without worries. Even when it couldn’t happen to her, she wanted it to happen to her characters. That was the moment she realised how beautiful it is to make a story that people will fall in love with. That was her moment when she felt like she could write about miracles or fantasies or world peace and love those concepts without having to consider their genuineness. Because, fiction isn't just an escape, it is a retreat to our own sanity. And at that moment, she celebrated it.

(‘Monday Moments’ is a blog series wherein I write about an incident or a moment in a short paragraph. It’s not a story, but just a short description to express and explore the most common joys and also the uncommon miseries.)

5 Things To Know About Detachment.

          Some of us get easily attached to people. Once befriended, we want to know everything about them. Then we start thinking about them, caring for them and end up getting attached in no time. But somewhere amidst all that caring and loving, we forget about caring and loving ourselves. If the attachment is both ways, then the relation can move mountains. But if it's one sided and you're on that side, then well, you're doomed. You start getting your hopes up but then those expectations always hurt.

          I reached that point where I just wanted to stay alone. I didn't want to talk to anybody. So, I uninstalled this social media chatting app, Whatsapp, which I used constantly. Checking last seen at. Checking the read receipts. Checking status and display pictures of all random people who I don't know why exist on my contact list. It's just so much of a waste to think, care and love people who don't give crap about me. So I just removed that stupid app with all its neurotic features which creates distance rather than bridging it. I was on a one-week Whatsapp hiatus. There were stages after I uninstalled it. I felt I shouldn't have done that. Then I had an urging need to install it back again. But after 3 days, I was completely fine without it. To be honest, I didn't get a headache ever since I removed it. It was really calming. I felt like I was on a cloud, isolated from the world. And I have to admit, it feels good. Sometimes when you are done with people, just take a break from them. Detach, for your own good. It can be damned difficult but once you think over it, you will be the one embracing happiness. Here's what you should do about detachment.

1. Think:

          Once you have cut cords with the world or taken your intellectual getaway, just think. Think about everything that's going on in your life. And talk aloud with yourself. (That's not crazy. In fact, it's a sign you're a genious.) When you clear your head, you'll get a clear vision. Your perspective towards some people might change. When you put yourself in their position and see that you're just an option to them, then you'll realise how easy it is to detach. If you stop interacting and they stop interacting as well, you'll get your answer. And i isn't just about people. When you're detaching, you're just stepping away from your life. And sometimes you see things better from a distance. It'll help you know whether you really love yourself or whether you really want to do what you're doing and all sorts of aspects. 

2. Love Yourself:

          Don't be too hard on yourself. We all make mistakes and pay for them. But that's how we learn. So if you feel like some relationships are just toxic, then step away. Simple to say, difficult to implement but that's how it is. Great things take time and you need to give yourself that time to be awesome again. Just be kind and love yourself.

3. Value Real People:

          You'll meet people who remember you during exams, people who remember you when they're in a problem, people who'll say one thing to your face and another thing behind your back and just selfish people. But you'll also meet people who'll be true to you, people who'll love you in all your forms and just wonderful people. You only need those people. Such rare and precious people should be treasured. When I went on a hiatus, I wanted to see who'll actually bother to notice. And I'm glad that a few friends did. (Divya, I love you babe!)

4. Use the Time:

          Once you decide to just let it go, you'll realise how much free time there is. There's time saved from worrying meaninglessly because you don't know what people are doing. There's time saved from thinking about people who don't even matter. There's time saved from all the drama, to be precise. I was so relieved. I used this time effectively to study, read and write.

5. Solitude:

          Oh the solitude! I'll let the silence speak for itself. 

Have you experienced the need for detachment? How do you manage it?

Birthday Celebration. (Monday Moments #25)

          After a tiring day, everyone knew that it made no sense to wake her up at 12 AM. So instead the family planned a whole another thing. The moment she stepped out of her bedroom in the morning, her husband, son and daughter were outside as they said aloud, "Happy Birthday!" Her sleepiness was replaced with an exhilarating glow. She smiled wide and thanked them. Her morning newspaper was brought to her by her son. Her daughter made tea for her. And soon followed husband's breakfast. She was so excited with the royal treatment. Later, they went out for lunch in the restaurant she always wanted to go. Post lunch they ate kulfi at their usual place. She was overly joyous. When she thought they were headed home, her husband took a different direction leading to the highway. And just like that the family were off on a long drive; something she always enjoyed. After the drive they went home and it was time to open the gifts; like all of this was not enough. Her husband gifted her with a stunning jewelry set. The kids got an apron on which was written World's Best Chef. They made her a beautiful greeting card with glitter and magic. All these wonderful gestures made her heart melt. After a while, everyone was napping. As she saw each of them, she felt she was the luckiest person alive. She thanked God for blessing her with such a lovely family. At that moment, she wasn't just the birthday girl but she was a queen. Because she felt like a queen. At that moment, her happiness knew no bounds and she was grateful. It was a birthday she'll never forget.

(‘Monday Moments’ is a blog series wherein I write about an incident or a moment in a short paragraph. It’s not a story, but just a short description to express and explore the most common joys and also the uncommon miseries.)

The Proposal. (Monday Moments #24)

          The girl and the boy were at her favourite band's concert. She was out-of-the-world happy to be there. As she sung to every word of all the songs, he couldn't help but gaze at her. He looked at her with that smile and said to himself, "How happy she gets by these little things. She's weird. I guess I'm weird too for getting her those things. Yes, we are weird together." His smile said a million things as she kept fangirling over the band members. She kept saying how it was the best day of her life. But she didn't know that it was going to get much better. The band started playing her favourite song which was a lovely slow-beat romantic one. Just after the chorus, the guitarist stopped. He took the mike and said, "This song is for the lovely couple there!" The cameras pointed to the couple. And then the guy got down on one knee and proposed to her. There were waves of cheers. He flipped his sign card which now said, "Will you marry me?" Her hands were clenched to her smiling face. She had tears in her eyes. She nodded a yes and there was another round of cheers. The camera captured them as they kissed. The band called out their names and continued with the performance. She was confused over whether it really happened, whether he really proposed her, whether it was really at a concert, whether her music idol actually saw her and said her name. So many amazing things swayed her as she was just speechless. She couldn't hold so much happiness at one time. He was so joyous that he planned the whole surprise. He knew she deserved to be on top of the world. She was his queen and he was her king. They left their embrace and just looked into each others' eyes. Their glance shown how much they loved each other. At that moment, nothing else mattered because they were in love. At that moment, they were the happiest people in the whole world.

(‘Monday Moments’ is a blog series wherein I write about an incident or a moment in a short paragraph. It’s not a story, but just a short description to express and explore the most common joys and also the uncommon miseries.)

Me Before You. (Book Review #18)

          Hello book nerds! It saddens me that I get to read less these days. After the 1 book per 2 days streak in July, this is just downright disappointing. Now that I have a study leave of one month, the first thing I did was get back to my lovely books! And I'm not lying, but it feels so much better to read than do anything else. It's like getting back into my natural habitat!

          My last book review on The Kite Runner was more than a month ago. That's why I'll enjoy writing this one. I started with a few books last month such as 'And The Mountains Echoed', 'The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari' and 'Me Before You'. The most interesting book was 'Me Before You' which I finished first and so here's the review! (Includes spoilers.)

Introduction:

          I found a recommendation to this book under the list of 'Read this if you liked The Fault in our Stars'. That should have been the first cue as to this depressing, saddening, life altering and gorgeously miraculous novel. When you get a hint like that, you judge it too hard and tend to forget enjoying the reading process. So just forget about other plots, alive and dead characters, endings and try to enjoy this sad love story.

This is the first novel of Jojo Moyes that I read. I liked her writing. It's simple. It's funny. She can make the reader involved in the story. She can make amazing sarcastic conversations too. It wasn't that after reading this book I said, "I can't wait to read all of her books." But it has intrigued me to read the sequel 'After You'.

Characters:

          Louisa Clark is a 27 year old woman who doesn't have a job or a meaningful relationship or her own home. She has nothing figured out. Not even herself until she meets Will. Her life begins to change in a positive way once Will enters her life.

          William Traynor is a 35 year old quadriplegic who is sarcastic, funny and handsome. And he wants to die. He used to be that person who loved adventures and travelling but is now restricted to a life in a wheelchair. So that really sucks.
          Nathan is Will's carer. He's mostly invisible. Katrina is Louisa's sister. She is smart, practical and an opportunist. Patrick is Lou's boyfriend. He's into fitness and obsessed with it. I didn't like him much, which is how it was supposed to be, I guess.

Storyline:

          The story revolves around Louisa and Will. She gets a job as Will's carer. At the beginning it's tough because they don't get along well. He's mean and sarcastic with her. She just takes it until she starts being a smart mouth too. Only after a while she finds out why she was given a 6-month job. That was because Will had a death wish. He wanted to kill himself at the end of those 6 months. After knowing about this, she almost quits. But her sister gives her an idea to change Will's decision by showing him what life is worth.
          Then begins Lou's mission. She starts a schedule and gets engrossed in travel plans. After some failed incidents, there are also some good ones. Soon, Louisa and Patrick break up. Louisa plans a whole trip with activities like bungee jumping. But Will gets pneumonia. So they end up going on a relaxed vacation to Mauritius. Louisa confesses her love to him. But, his response shocks her. He says that she can't be the only reason for him to live. She wasn't reason enough. (That line just broke my heart.) A few days later, his death wish is granted. He gets to say a goodbye to Louisa. He changes her life even though she couldn't change his.

Overall Review:

          I had somehow expected that he would die. But there was this teeny tiny bit of hope and possibility of him coming around. So even though I was prepared, I wasn't really prepared. I know people who love this book, but it wasn't really among my best reads. Firstly, there wasn't a solid plot. Everything was quite predictable and depressing. Secondly, the major part of the book, that is, those 6 months were very boring. I know those events are supposed to bring life in Will but it just got monotonous. But at the end, I was extremely heart broken.
Sometimes if the end gets to people, they say they love the book. That happens with me in the first stages of book hangover. Only after the hangover ends, I go back and think about the book as a whole. So the book gave me real pain and sorrow. But later I realised how uninteresting the previous part of the book was. So I ended up giving 3 stars to it on Goodreads.

What's your opinion about 'Me Before You'? Have you read 'After You'?

Your Favourite Lyrics Say A Lot About You.

          There's a reason why our favourite books and movies are our favourites. And there's a reason why our favourite songs are our favourites. I had heard that a person's favourite lyrics say a lot about them. It brings out their thinking and emotions. It's a way of saying something without actually having to say it. Sometimes it's something really deep while at other times it's just random. I've been listening music a lot recently and I agree by and large with that concept. There's always a song defining my mood. And there's always one sentence which I sing with deep passion. That feeling made me write this post. Here are some of the lyrics I sing out loud as if it's my own life story.

1. "They'll tell you I'm insane."

Blank Space, Taylor Swift.

2. "I've got a jet black heart and there's a hurricane underneath it."

Jet Black Heart, 5 Seconds of Summer.

3. Dear No One, Tori Kelly.
(Basically the entire song.)

4. "This is a modern fairy tale. No happy endings. No wind in our sails."

The Heart Wants What It Wants, Selena Gomez.

5. "Say what you wanna say and let the words fall out. Honestly, I wanna see you be brave."

Brave, Sara Bareilles.

6. "Only words bleed."

Photograph, Ed Sheeran.

7. "Tryna find you but I just don't know.. where do broken hearts go?"

Where Do Broken Hearts Go, One Direction.

8. "I screamed so loud but no one heard a thing."

Clean, Taylor Swift.

9. "I might be okay but I'm not fine at all."

All Too Well, Taylor Swift.

10. "It's gonna be all right."

Shake It Off, Taylor Swift.

          Don't read too much in these sentences or you'll figure me out. But. there are more sad lyrics here than happy ones. I think that music has this magical power to make me sad even when I'm not and make me happy when all I want to do is cry. Sometimes these lyrics just touch my heart and then there's no doubt I'll sing them for the next 24 hours.  I think that's the power of art. Books, movies and music can change my mood swiftly.

Sometimes I'll just keep lip-sync songs while I'm on a walk. But sometimes, I'll sing alone in my room understanding every syllable. There's just no in-between.

Which are your favourite lyrics? How do they define you?

Artist's Canvas. (Guest Post #4)

          Today's post is by Santosh Satpute. He's a friend and an incredibly talented person. He has a keen eye for photography. He sketches amazingly. He also makes sculptures with utmost perfection. The most wonderful thing is that he hasn't taken any professional coaching for any of these. That's how artistic he is. Here are some of his photos, sketches and sculptures.

Sketches:

 Sculptures:

Photography:

You can follow him here: 

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